1 The Old Palace
HATFIELD HOUSE
HISTORY
THE history of Hatfield House begins about 1497 when Cardinal Morton, Bishop
of Ely and minister of Henry VII, finished the building of the Old Palace. It was a
big quadrangle of russet brick; one side of it containing the banqueting hall still
stands on the west of the present house. When Henry VIII dispersed the
possessions of the Church he took it over and used it chiefly as a residence for his
children. They led a troubled life there. From the tower that still stands above the
hall, Mary, the eldest, waved vainly to her father, as he rode past with averted
face, after her mother Catherine's divorce. A few years later after the next queen,
Anne's, execution, her daughter Elizabeth is described as living there without
even the necessary clothes to keep her decent. During Mary's reign Elizabeth
found herself back at Hatfield virtually a prisoner. She lived as splendidly as she
could; we hear of a gorgeous masque and play being given for her entertainment
in the Hall, and also of a message sent by her sister that such performances must
not be repeated. However, in 1558 Mary died.
2. Statue to the third Marquess of Salisbury
Seated under an oak tree, which still survives in the Park, Elizabeth was reading
when the news of her accession was brought to her. Her first council, arranged by
William Cecil, afterwards Lord Burghley, was held in the Hall. After this she herself
did not spend much time there: but she has left such a mark on the place as
makes her still its presiding genius.
From the walls of the present house her pale, enigmatic face gazes down at us
from three canvases—the Ermine Portrait by Hilliard, that in fancy dress as
the goddess Diana, and the great Rainbow Portrait by Zuccaro in which she is
represented allegorically as the fountain of all wisdom, her dress powdered
with the eyes and ears which enable her to hear and see everything. Other
faces of the time gaze down at us too, notably that of Mary, Queen of Scots,
painted shortly before her execution, and William Cecil, Lord Burghley,
founder of the fortunes of the family who have since owned the place. At
Hatfield also are to be found Queen Elizabeth's garden hat, her yellow silk
stockings and gloves, and a great mass of her letters and those of others of
her time. Cecil himself, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary, Katherine Parr, Raleigh
and Ben Jonson are all represented in the great collection in the Muniment
Room, which is particularly rich in papers connected with Mary Queen of
Scots.
Her successor, James I, did not care for the house. He preferred Theobalds,
the residence of his chief minister, Robert Cecil, William's son, afterwards first
Earl of Salisbury, where the hunting was better: and he proposed an
exchange. Robert agreed and in 1607 proceeded to pull down three sides of
the existing palace to build himself the present house, in the new style of his
time. He seems to be largely responsible for designing it himself, with the
assistance of his master mason, Conn, and his head carpenter, Lyminge.
3 Portrait of Queen Elizabeth
4 The North Front
It was built in the shape of an "E" (Plate 8), the initial of the great queen
to whom his family owed their fortunes. The central block was given up
to state rooms suitable for the reception of the King and decorated with
the utmost magnificence. The two wings were for himself and his guests.
He also planned elaborate gardens and a walled vineyard at some
distance from the house. The vineyard remains, though not the vines
which proved a failure. In 1611 the house was practically finished and
Salisbury was on his way to visit it when he was taken ill and died.
His successors, for the next hundred years or so, were not men of
eminence but their position enabled their home still to play a role in
history. James I came to stay there; so did his unhappy son Charles when
he was a prisoner on the way to his trial in London. Lord Salisbury played
a prudent rather than a heroic part in the Civil War, and so was on fairly
good terms with Cromwell and his Government.
5 Rober Cecil by Marc Gheeraedts the Younger
Hatfield during Charles II's reign is interesting to us chiefly for the visit of
Pepys who did not think much of "my simple Lord Salisbury" as he called
him; and later of James II, then Duke of York, fleeing with his wife from
the anti-Roman Catholic agitations in London. Lord Salisbury, once again
prudent, did not want to be connected with them. They found the house
deserted, with no preparations made to receive them, so that they had
to purchase food and candles in the town. The third owner, however,
took James II's side and was imprisoned in the Tower in consequence.
Afterwards he and his successor lived quietly at Hatfield.
6 The West Front
7 The first Marchioness by Sir Joshua Reynolds
In the second half of the eighteenth century the House comes into prominence again
as the residence of George III's chamberlain, the first Marquess, whose portrait by
Romney hangs in the King James Drawing Room. His personality, however, counted
for less than that of his wife, Lady Mary Amelia Hill. Beautiful, dominating, and
energetic she was the chief Tory hostess of her time. A hundred stories are told of
her eccentricities.
She rode round the estate scattering guineas to the poor from a velvet bag carried
by the groom; she held gambling parties in the Long Gallery which lasted till the
dawn when the floor was ankle-deep in discarded packs of cards; she hunted the
hounds herself till she was nearly eighty. Half-blind she was strapped on to the horse
which was led by the groom; when they came to a fence, "Dammit, my lady, jump!"
he used to say. The first Marchioness left her permanent mark on the house in the
big portrait of her by Reynolds, and the beautiful eighteenth-century furniture which
she bought. She also largely redecorated it in the taste of the period. Her end was
tragic. As a very old lady she was burned in a fire which broke out and destroyed a
large part of the inside of the West wing of the house. (Plate 7.)
8 The South Front
Her son, the second Marquess, rebuilt it: he also undid most of his mother's
redecoration, in an attempt to restore the Elizabethan style which had once more
come into fashion. The House continued to be a great social and political centre in
his time. His wife, Miss Gascoyne, whose picture by Lawrence hangs in the King
James Drawing Room, was a great friend of the Duke of Wellington, of whom there
are many relics in the House. Queen Victoria and the Prince Albert paid a visit to the
House. For their benefit bedrooms were redecorated and the new South courtyard
with its great gates put up. The second Marquess also created the MAZE (Plate 31)
and terraced gardens on each side of the house.
Under her son Robert, third Marquess, the family once again achieved the full
eminence it had held under Queen Elizabeth and James I. Leader of the Conservative
party and three times Prime Minister, his home was inevitably a political and social
centre of the first importance, visited by guests as diverse as Gladstone, Disraeli, the
Kaiser, and Lewis Carroll. The third Marquess, who was, in addition to his political
activities, a distinguished scientist, introduced electric light into the House in 1881.
Hatfield was one of the first houses to be so lighted. The installation was very
dangerous. Apart from the risk of shocks, the naked wires on the Gallery ceiling
were apt to break into flame. The family sitting beneath nonchalantly threw up
9 King Charles I's Cradle
cushions to put the fire out and then went on with their conversation. Under the
fourth Marquess (left of Plate to) the family continued prominent in political life. Many people, including Edward VII, Balfour, and
Chamberlain, visited the House. During the Second World War it was a hospital and the first civil resettlement unit for prisoners of war.
10 The King James Drawing Room
A Tour Of The House
The rooms are described in their order, on the route normally followed by visitors
to Hatfield.
The arrangement of furniture, pictures, etc., is subject to alteration.
VISITORS enter the House by the main door on the North side. This leads into
the NORTH HALL, the walls of which are hung with trophies, and in particular
with the leather coats worn by soldiers during the 17th century under their
breastplates. An example of one of them in use is to be seen in the portrait of
Admiral Tromp on the Grand Staircase. On the East side of the Hall is a great oak
screen of original Jacobean work, contemporary with the building of the house.
The doorway in the centre of this screen leads to the Marble Hall.
THE MARBLE HALL (Plate 11). This is the most considerable room in the house. It
is two storeys in height and fills nearly the whole width of the main block. It is a
Jacobean adaptation of the great halls of medieval times. The main features are
very much the same. It has a minstrels' gallery, an oriel, and a great beamed
ceiling. The minstrels' gallery is at the East end of the Hall and is surmounted by
the coat-of-arms of Robert, first Earl of Salisbury, the builder of the house, in
painted and gilt wood. Under the gallery are three pictures, of Mary Queen of
Scots (Plate 2r), Henry VI, and Richard III. The portrait of Queen Mary is said to
11 The Marble Hall
be one that was sent by her to one of her chief adherents in England, and, having
been confiscated by Cecil's agents, eventually found its way into his house. The four flags hanging from the minstrels' gallery are
Napoleonic Eagles which were sent out by Napoleon to the various Departments of France after his return from Elba, to rally the
French people to his cause. They were captured after Waterloo and presented by the Duke of Wellington to the first Marquess of
Salisbury.
12 Marriage Fête at Bermondsey (1590) by Joris Hoefnagel
On the right of the fireplace is one of the original refectory tables of the Hall.
The other, with its attendant benches, stands in the middle of the room. Above
the refectory table hang two portraits of Queen Elizabeth. One is by Nicholas
Hilliard, the Court miniature painter. It is known as the Ermine Portrait, from
the ermine, the symbol of sovereignty, which is depicted on her sleeve.
The other, in which the Queen is shown in the character of Diana, is by
Cornelius Vroom. Above the panelling hang four large panels of Brussels
tapestry of the late 17th century. The West side of the Hall is entirely taken up
by the great screen. In the upper part of this screen there are two little
windows, of which more later. The paintings on the ceiling and walls are by the
Italian artist Taldini. They were added during the latter part of the 19th century.
Leaving the Marble Hall by the door under the minstrels' gallery, visitors pass to
the Grand Staircase, the main approach to the State Rooms on the first floor.
THE GRAND STAIRCASE (Plate 13). This is one of the most famous examples of
the period. Elaborately carved, and with each newel pillar surmounted by the
figure of a boy, it is a happy blend of the Italian Renaissance and the traditional
English styles. The gates at the bottom are contemporary, and were intended to
prevent dogs from running up into the upper storeys of the house. The staircase
was, either originally or at some later date in its history, painted. But, by the
early 19th century, the woodwork had fallen into disrepair. The paint was
13 The Grand Staircase
therefore stripped off by the second Marquess and the wood repaired. At the
same time the ceiling, which had been white, was given its present colouring.
On the ground floor, at the foot of the staircase, are various objects of interest.
14 The Grand Staircase
On the right of the door leading from the Marble Hall is the famous
Rainbow Portrait of Queen Elizabeth (Plate 3), of which an account has
already been given. On the other side of the door hangs a "Polish" rug,
woven of silk and gold thread by Persian workmen for the King of Poland
during the early part of the 16th century. Over the door, facing the visitor
as he comes from the Hall, is a contemporary bust of Lord Burghley, and,
to the right of this, the shield and hat of the Emperor Menelik of
Abyssinia and the sword of Tippao Sahib. This sword was captured at the
Battle of Seringapatam and given to Mary Amelia, wife of the first
Marquess of Salisbury, by the great Duke of Wellington. The faces of the
figures in armour are replicas of death masks of Charles I. Above the
staircase there is a large picture of a white horse. This is traditionally said
to be the one ridden by Queen Elizabeth when she reviewed her troops at
Tilbury before the defeat of the Armada.
Below it there are pictures of Lord Burghley and his son Robert Cecil, first
Earl of Salisbury (Plate 5), the builder of the house. They were in turn Lord
Treasurer, the equivalent to the modem post of Prime Minister, under
Queen Elizabeth and James I.
15 Section of Queen Elizabeth's Pedigree
16 The Summer Drawing Room
There are also a number of family portraits by such fashionable painters of
the day as Geldorp, Kneller, Dahl, and Wissing. Among them is one of the
fourth Earl, to which a curious story attaches. He was at one time sympathetic
to the Duke of Monmouth. When the Duke rebelled against James II he found
himself in a position of considerable embarrassment. He had a full-length
portrait of the Duke in the house. He did not like to destroy it in case the
rebellion was successful. On the other hand, the rebellion might fail, in which
event the presence of the portrait would be incriminating evidence against
him. He seems therefore to have adopted the ingenious expedient of having
his own portrait painted over that of the Duke, where it remained until only a
hundred years ago, when some picture restorers stripped off a portion of the
top painting and uncovered the Duke's head underneath. The head of the
Duke may be clearly seen in the background of the picture. There are also
portraits of the late Marquess of Salisbury by Sir W. B. Richmond, and the
present Marquess of Salisbury by Sir William Orpen.
Reaching the top of the staircase, visitors will come to the King James
Drawing Room.
THE KING JAMES DRAWING ROOM (Plate I0). This takes its name from the
statue of King James I over the mantelpiece (Plate 17), which was presented
by the King himself. The room has been redecorated by succeeding
generations and owes something of its appearance to each century. The
17 Fireplace - King James Drawing Room
present decoration is Victorian; the ceiling, originally plain white, was painted
a hundred years ago; the windows and most of the furniture belong to the
end of the 18th century; the curtains to the end of the 17th century; the mantelpiece and the plasterwork of the ceiling to the
beginning of the 17th century.
18 "Elizabeth and her Courtiers" Statuary in the West Garden
The pictures are mainly family portraits; among them the first Marquess, by
George Romney, his lady by Sir Joshua Reynolds (Plate 7), Frances Mary,
wife of the second Marquess, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, and the third
Marquess, who was three times Prime Minister, by George Richmond (Plate
19). There is also a picture of the Duke of Wellington by Sir David Wilkie.
The Duke was a great friend and constant visitor to the house. He was also a
follower of the Hatfield Hounds, the hunt coat of which he used to wear
during his campaigns. The china in the cabinets between the windows is
Sevres. In the other glass cases there are various treasures. Many of these
were presents to the successive owners of Hatfield from distinguished
visitors. Most interesting among them is a jewel-case, said to have belonged
to Queen Elizabeth, and the Casket given to the third Marquess of Salisbury,
when, as Prime Minister, he received the Freedom of the City of London.
The delicate Chinese pagoda in the central window is of late 18th century
Chinese work. It was a present to the first Marchioness of Salisbury, whose
portrait by Reynolds hangs on the opposite wall. There is also a rare and
curious Jacobean table of mother-of-pearl, which is known to have been in
the house ever since Robert Cecil's day.
19 The third Marquess as Chancellor of Oxford University by G. Richmond
20 Hatfield from the air
THE LONG GALLERY (Plate 22). No great house of the Elizabethan age
would have been considered complete without a Long Gallery. The Hatfield
Gallery runs the entire length of the centre of the South Front and
measures 180 feet from end to end. This room has fortunately survived
unaltered from the time it was built. The ceiling was however originally
white, and was covered with gold leaf by the second Marquess about too
years ago. Originally the Gallery finished at the pillars at either end, the
space beyond forming separate lobbies. These lobbies were incorporated
into the Gallery in the early 19th century. There are two sets of James II
chairs, covered in Italian silk, lining the walls, also a pair of armchairs of the
same date on either side of the fire-place. Half-way down the Gallery is a
glass case containing the garden hat, silk stockings, and gloves of Queen
Elizabeth (Plate 23). The silk stockings are said to have been the first to
have been brought into England. There is also, at the West end, a tall
carved oak cupboard, containing a remarkable parchment roll illuminated
in gold and colour with coats-of-arms and devices (Plate 5). This is a
contemporary pedigree of Queen Elizabeth, tracing her ancestry back to
Adam. It appears in all inventories since the house was built.
21 Mary Queen of Scots by P. Oudry
Leading off the Long Gallery there is a shorter gallery called the NORTH
GALLERY. It runs the width of the centre block of the House and has similar
panelling. One panel slides down, showing two small windows
over¬looking the Marble Hall. The tradition is that in the days when
gentlemen sat late at the dining table and drank deep, their wives used to
come to these little windows and look down into the Hall.
22 The Long Gallery
If it appeared that their husbands had been drinking too freely they would
send down and have them carried to bed.
In this Gallery stands the cradle of Charles I (Plate 9). On the ends are the
initials "A.R." (Anna Regina) of his mother, Queen Anne of Denmark, and
under the window stands her chair and stool with its original gilding.
THE WINTER DINING ROOM (Plate 24). Originally this was two rooms,
which were converted into a dining room for use in winter by the second
Marquess about 00 years ago. The panelling is probably of earlier date,
and the mantelpiece was brought from Quickswood, an Elizabethan house
near Baldock in Hertfordshire, which formerly belonged to the family and
has now been destroyed. The walls are hung with full-length pictures,
including portraits of James I by P. van Somer, Charles I by Daniel Mytens,
and George III by Sir William Beechey. King George presented this portrait,
with the house in the background, to commemorate his visit to Hatfield to
review the Hertfordshire Militia. At the end of the room is a painting by M.
Coffermans, a pupil of Albrecht Durer, after Durer's famous etching of
Adam and Eve.
The long elmwood table under the windows is of the date of the house.
The top of this table was cut from a single piece of wood.
23 Queen Elizabeth's Garden Hat, Gloves and Silk Stockings
24 The Winter Dining Room
THE LIBRARY (Plate 26). This room was made from two smaller rooms, at the
beginning ofthe 19th century, to house the collection of books, dating from
the 16th century to the present day. In the South-west corner is a fine
collection of French Revolution literature.
The picture of Robert Cecil, first Earl of Salisbury, over the mantelpiece, is of
mosaic and was commis-sioned by him in Venice through Sir Henry Wotton.
The red leather furniture was made for Mary Amelia, first Marchioness of
Salisbury. The glass cases contain books and manuscripts from the family
archives.
THE ADAM AND EVE STAIRCASE. This was SO called after the picture of Adam
and Eve which used to hang on the landing at the top of the stairs. It now
hangs in the Armoury. Above the staircase there are the portraits of King
George III and Queen Charlotte by Sir William Beechey. They were presented
to the first Marquess, who was the King's Lord Chamberlain. They are copies of
portraits by Sir Joshua Reynolds at Windsor. On the landing there is a painting
of King George reviewing the Hertfordshire Militia in the Park in 1800. This
picture is by Roger Livesey, R.A. At the foot of the staircase there are portraits
of the Duke of Wellington, Lord Beaconsfield, and the third Marquess of
Salisbury.
25 The Chapel
From the Adam and Eve Staircase visitors pass through the end of the Armoury
to the Chapel.
THE CHAPEL (Plate 25). The Chapel stands at the entrance to the West wing. It
rises through two storeys. The ground floor was completely redecorated by the
third Marquess between 1869 and 1880. The old high pews were removed and
panelling placed round the walls.
26 The Library
The present white marble Altar was installed and given its present reredos of
yellow marble. The windows however are the original ones put up by Robert
Cecil in 1611 and are of Flemish glass. They represent scenes from the Old
Testament. The Gallery of the Chapel still retains its original decoration, with
portraits of Saints in the panels under each arch.
THE ARMOURY (Plate 28). This was originally an open arcade in the Italian
Renaissance style, with a door at the top of the stairs at either end. But, with
the passage of time, this became increasingly inconvenient, as there was no
passage on the ground floor between the two wings. About the year 183o,
therefore, the second Marquess filled in the arcade with the present stone
tracery, glazed it and laid the black and white marble floor. He also extended
it by including the lobbies at either end. It was finally completed in 1874 by
the third Marquess, who set up the panelling and hung the armour and
tapestries. The four tapestries, known as "The Seasons", depict the everyday
life of the 17th century in spring, summer, autumn and winter (Plate 27).
They were woven for Ralph Sheldon at his factory in Gloucestershire in 1611.
They are probably the finest English tapestries of the period in existence.
Originally made for the Traceys of Toddington, they were bought by the
second Marquess.
27 One of th Four Seasons Tapestries - Autumn
Much of the armour on the walls was worn by the men ofthe Spanish
Armada. It came into Robert Cecil's possession after the defeat of the
Armada in 1588. The suits of armour date from the end of the 16th century.
28 The Armoury
The picture of Adam and Eve at the entrance to the Adam and Eve
Staircase is by Jan van Scorel (Dutch School, 16th century).
THE OLD KITCHEN. The Elizabethan kitchen, as modified in the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, is shown at the end of the tour.
THE GARDENS. The Gardens of Hatfield House have seen many changes
and may be said to have grown gradually into their present form. The
terraces were made at the end of the 18th century. The garden on the
West side of the house, below the terrace, did not take on its present
appearance until 1900, when it was restored to its original Jacobean
form (Plate 30). The mulberry trees at its four comers were planted by
James I. One of these trees unfortunately died during the late war. The
stone carving in the summer-house at the North-west corner represents
Queen Elizabeth and her courtiers. It was brought from the old Royal
Exchange in London about too years ago (Plate 8). The magnificent
beeches at the South end of the garden are nearly 250 years old. They
were planted by the wife of the fifth Earl.
Beyond the West Garden can be seen the glowing red brick walls of the
Old Palace, built by Cardinal Morton in the reign of Henry VII (Plate z).
This is well worth a visit, for it contains the great hall of the Palace, with
its original 15th century roof. It was in this room that Queen Elizabeth
held her first Council after she became Queen (Plate 29). Those who wish
for refreshment after their visit can get it here in agreeable surroundings.
29 The Visitor's Restaurant in the Old Palace
30 The West Garden
·The photographic illustrations in this book, unless otherwise indicated, are from
photographs taken by Sydney W. Newbery, F.I.B.P., F.R.P.S.
·The maps of the Hatfield Estate and District, based upon the Ordnance Survey
map with the sanction of the Controller of H.M. Stationery Office, have been
drawn by Mr. C. H. Brown, L.R.I.B.A.
·The front cover design is reproduced from a picture specially painted for this book
by Mr. H. Barklam.
·The blocks have been made by Colophon Limited, of Leicester.
·The book has been printed by the Blackfriars Press Limited, Smith-Dorrien Road,
Leicester.
MILES FROM HATFIELD
BEDFORD
CAMBRIDGE
HARPENDEN
HERTFORD
HITCHIN
LONDON
LUTON
NEWMARKET
OXFORD
ST. ALBANS
STEVENAGE
STRATFORD ON AVON
SULGRAVE MANOR
WATFORD
WELWYN
31
39
11
7
15
18
15
50
55
5
12
84
80
18
5